


midnight sun

by graves



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Apprentice Eren, Fluff, M/M, Witch Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 14:47:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12459993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/graves/pseuds/graves
Summary: Levi, who was kind and gentle where others said he would be cruel.  Levi, who laughed when Eren used the wrong herb and the spell turned into a foul-smelling fog instead.  Levi, who sang his own made up songs when he thought he was alone in the garden in their backyard.--Levi is a witch and Eren is his apprentice.





	midnight sun

**Author's Note:**

> this au belongs to my friend cat and her beautiful [art](http://constant-catastrophe.tumblr.com/post/162259552043/i-started-this-weeks-ago-but-i-decided-to)!!! it was my pleasure to be able to write for it!!

They are still learning the ins and outs of each other when Eren has one of his first nightmares in Levi’s home.

When Eren showed up on Levi’s doorstep some months go he’d known of Levi for far longer than Levi had known of him. Back when Eren was still completing his schooling, Levi was already a well known name in the bigger circles and Eren admired him for longer than he’d like to admit. Levi was the reason Eren had chosen to become an apprentice in the first place and it was only after some encouraging from Armin and Mikasa that he decided to seek Levi himself out to be his master.

If he’d known when he was younger that Levi would open his door to a nervous but excitable Eren and accept him into his home, he wouldn’t have believed it. It had happened like magic. It had happened like springtime cherry blossoms falling from the trees; gently, in warmth and wind. Levi had stepped onto his front porch to get a better look at whoever had shakily knocked at his door and the breeze wandered by, Levi’s hair softly blowing over his eyes. It was early morning and the sun was still rising in the east, but it could have been the west for all Eren would have noticed then. He was caught by how Levi was traced by soft light, something just outside of their plane of existence, but there all the same. Levi stood tall for being shorter than Eren, arms crossed over his chest and gaze so unreadable it was enough to make the growing sunlight feel like shadows. Although he’d had an idea of what he looked like from rumors other people spread, he didn’t know Levi was so beautiful.

Eren introduced himself the way he rehearsed, asking Levi if he’d take him on as an apprentice, the words falling out of Eren’s mouth the way they had in his dreams. 

Levi’s smile when he took Eren’s hand to lead him into his home was like firefly light. 

They’d gotten along just fine. Much better than Eren had expected, really. He was afraid he’d be too awkward, or mess up too much, or accidentally tell Levi he was in love with him if he ever set off a truth spell in his own face (which he’d nearly done a couple times but Levi wasn’t anywhere as impatient and cruel as some had said back during his schooling). It was a sudden, incredible thing to realize: that he loved Levi. He supposes it had been there the entire time, even before he’d met him and all he knew of him were the stories of every wonderful thing he’d done. It’s such a lovesick thought but Eren figures if they live in a world of magic, things like love and soulmates must be real, too. There’s no other name for what’s in his heart. There’s magic in his blood and his body, but only love in his heart. It’s all for Levi. 

Levi, who was kind and gentle where others said he would be cruel. Levi, who laughed when Eren used the wrong herb and the spell turned into a foul-smelling fog instead. Levi, who sang his own made up songs when he thought he was alone in the garden in their backyard. 

Many things with Levi were unexpected. Of course, being able to learn under him was the first unexpected thing, and living in his home with him was another. Eren isn’t sure what he thought would happen, but it wasn’t Levi clearing out a room near his own and giving it to Eren. Surprise after surprise. Loving him was unexpected, too, but at that point Eren had become fond of all the unexpected things Levi brought about. 

Through all the things that happened with Levi, Eren isn’t sure he should tell him--maybe not ever. It’s hard to imagine that Levi, such a powerful and previously lonely (not to mention gorgeous) witch, would love him. Eren’s just a student from the country a long ways away that came to find his idol. There’s not much else to him and not much else he could offer Levi. 

As it often does, this heartsickness turned to nightmares. Love turns to darkness when it’s not returned; sunlight to shadows, flowers to ash. Sometimes he has dreams petals clog his throat and he wakes up heaving over the side of his bed. But tonight he dreams of losing Levi, spells gone wrong and regrets that last lifetimes. To his dream self, Levi reaches out his hand, mouth moving around words he cannot hear. He screams his name, over and over, tearing through the dream world to get to him before it’s too late. 

The only thing it’s too late for is the realization that he’s been screaming, in the waking world, and Levi’s throwing open the door to his room with a panicked utterance. 

Eren’s twisted in his sheets, his hair stuck to his forehead from sweat. Levi runs to him, and Eren thinks that despite how awful it feels to see Levi’s face wrought with frown lines and worry, having Levi rush to him is one of the best things that’s come from his apprenticeship. 

“Eren,” Levi sighs, hands finding his shoulders to press him into the bed. He runs his hands up Eren’s neck, then one hand brushes his hair out of his face. He doesn’t know what spell he’s cast, but Eren feels calmer just under Levi’s touch. It must be a spell.

Once his breathing settles and he remembers what he’s done, embarrassment falls over him in waves. “Oh no,” he groans, “I’m sorry, Levi. I didn’t mean to wake you.” 

It’s dark in the room but the soft glow around Levi makes it easy to see the smile he gives Eren. “No,” Levi says, hand coming down to cup Eren’s cheek, “don’t be sorry. I was just worried. Are you alright?”

Considering Levi’s in his room cupping his cheek and he looks everything like magic and beauty, he’s much more than alright. He allows himself a shred of honesty. “Now that you’re here.” 

Another smile. Eren would say anything if Levi would smile at him like that. 

“A nightmare?” Levi asks. 

“Something like that.”

Still leaning over him, Levi whispers something and the room doesn’t seem so dark anymore. “Do you want me to stay?”

“I,” Eren starts, heart tripping over itself at the offer, “yes.”

The next unexpected thing to come from Levi is instead of pulling another bed into the room, or conjuring one, or just anything else, is him crawling into bed besides Eren. 

He can’t say anything because his throat has clenched in nerves and too much love. Levi is next to him in bed, closer than he thought he’d be, pressed up warm against his side. “Is this okay?” Levi asks. 

Eren just nods, shuffling backward into Levi’s hold. His arms are around Eren and his breath beats over Eren’s neck. It’s better than dreams.

“Look up,” Levi says. Eren does so, turning his head just a bit so he can get a straight look at the ceiling of the room.

It’s covered in stars. 

_Ah_ , Eren thinks, _that’s why the room wasn’t so dark_. Levi lays a kiss to the nape of his neck and the stars shining above the ceiling pulse when lips meet skin. “Is this okay too?”

Eren has long forgotten his nightmare, anything that happened during it lost to the night sky and replaced with bright stars and Levi’s body against his. “Yes,” he answers. “Yes.”

Soon Levi’s breathing evens out but Eren can’t find it in him to sleep, not just yet. This whole time, this whole wonderful, magical time, he hadn’t been alone. He had not been in love alone.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://graves-n.tumblr.com) !!! title from "moonshine" by lights


End file.
